Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd Agenda The Highland Council Item

Report Buidheann Buileachaidh na Gàidhlig - 28 den Chèitean 2015 No Gaelic Implementation Group - 28 May 2015

Fèis nam Meadhanan Ceilteach Celtic Media Festival

Report by the Head of Policy and Reform

Summary

This Report updates Members of the activities in relation to the 36th Celtic Media Festival (CMF), held in the City, at Eden Court from 22nd – 24th April 2015. The CMF was supported by the Highland Council, VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund, Inverness Common Good Fund and Creative . The CMF was also supported by broadcasters and broadcast authorities from other and Countries who have lesser used indigenous languages.

1. Background

1.1 The Festival is an annual three-day celebration of broadcasting, film talent and excellence from Scotland, , , , and .

1.2 The CMF has been held in the City twice, 1987 and 1991 and elsewhere in Scotland seven times, including two other areas in the Highlands - Skye and Lochaber.

1.3 The CMF is supported by the Media, Local Government, Economic Development organisations, and the Creative Industries sector throughout the Celtic countries.

2. Local Organising Committee (LOC) and a Celtic Media Festival Liaison Group (CMFLG)

2.1 The CMF set up a LOC which included representatives from the Council, MG ALBA, BBC, Independent Companies, VisitScotland, and Creative Scotland. The main aim of the LOC was to co-ordinate the activities and events relating to CMF locally and support the Festival Co-ordinator.

2.2 The Council set up an internal CMFLG which supported and advised the Festival Co-ordinator, this included the Chief Executive of MG ALBA, Gaelic Manager, Gaelic Officer, Principal Tourism and Film Officer, Events Officer and the Festival Co-ordinator. The main aim of the LOC was to support the Festival Co-ordinator and co-ordinate and manage the activities from the Council perspective.

3. The Festival

3.1 The Gaelic Team organised a Civic Reception which took place in the Council Chamber. The Provost welcomed the Festival delegates, and also introduced the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop MSP. The Chair of CMF, Pádhraic Ó Ciardha spoke on behalf of the Festival Committee.

3.2 Mr Mike Russell MSP delivered the keynote speech on Wednesday 22nd, as he is one of the co-founding members of the Festival.

3.3 The main Festival events took place in Eden Court. The Final Award Ceremony and Spirit of the Festival took place at the Ironworks.

3.4 There were 405 delegates, 45 speakers, 15 volunteers, and 4 staff who attended the Festival. The entries received for the Bronze Torc Awards for Excellence have exceeded previous years’ figures, with a record breaking 500 entries submitted to the festival organisers, beating both 2013 and 2014 entries by 28% and 30% respectively.

3.5 There was active social networking relating to the festival via both Twitter and Facebook. The Celtic Media Festival now has over 3325 followers on Twitter, an increase of over 1000 since last year. The Twitter Impact came to 270,000 in the days surrounding the festival. The hashtag for the festival was #celticmedia

3.6 The 2015 entries showcased the quality of productions both inspired by the and culture, and those whose production companies are based in Celtic Counties and regions.

3.7 118 nominees from 78 production companies and broadcasters competed across 20 award categories, including animation, entertainment, sport, factual and feature length drama.

3.8 A total of 20 Torc Awards were presented at the festival, and the variety of categories did celebrate the wealth of film, television, radio and digital media on offer from the Celtic Countries and regions.

3.9 BBC Radio nan Gàidheal received the Radio Station of the Year Award.

3.10 A number of figures in the broadcasting and film industries attended the festival e.g. Stuart Cosgrove (former head of Creative Diversity at Channel 4), David Harron (BBC Scotland’s Executive Producer for Commissioning), Stuart Millar (the Guardian’s Head of News), Ewen MacAskill (the Guardian’s Defence and Intelligence Correspondent), Luke Moody (Britdoc, distributor of Citizenfour), Michael Hines (award winning director), Sanjeev Kohli (writer/actor/broadcaster), Chris Young (founder, Young Films). 3.11 There were bilingually presented daily awards ceremonies which proved to be a popular part of the Festival for delegates. The ceremonies provided a good platform to highlight and promote other events taking place at the Festival.

4. Tourism and Film

4.1 The Council’s Tourism and Film Officers met many of the delegates and had a stand at the CMF Show Case, where they distributed the leaflet ‘Movie Locations to Visit in the Highlands and Skye’. This promotes the Highlands to visitors by encouraging them to visit locations as many movies have featured areas in the Highlands including classics such as ‘Braveheart’, Rob Roy, Mrs Brown, and romance e.g., Made of Honour, Fantasy ‘ Stardust’, and drama ‘Seachd’: The Inaccessible Pinnacle’

4.2 The Movie Locations Map was produced by and will be distributed nationally by VisitScotland but with the content provided by the Council. The map highlights a broad range of locations right across the Highlands which have been used in the different genres of the film industry in the Highlands and includes a section on Gaelic. The leaflet was well received by the delegates.

5. Celtic Media Festival Winners

5.1 See Appendix 1 for the winners.

6. Implications

6.1 There are no legal, equality, risk, climate change/carbon clever or Gaelic implications.

Recommendations Members are invited to comment on the Report and agree that Officers work to attract the CMF back to the Highlands at the earliest opportunity.

Designation: Head of Policy and Reform Date: 18 May 2015 Authors: Morag Anna MacLeod Mitchell

CELTIC MEDIA FESTIVAL INVERNESS 2015 WINNERS Appendix 1

Category Country Broadcaster/Production Company ANIMATION The Hunchback in the Park Wales BBC Cymru Wales ARTS Dolores Keane: A Storm in the Heart Ireland RTÉ/Scratch Films Ltd. CHILDREN’S Katie Morag Scotland Move on Up CURRENT AFFAIRS The Disappeared Ireland BBC NI/RTÉ/Erica Starling Productions DRAMA SERIES Love/Hate Ireland RTÉ/Octagon Films Ltd ENTERTAINMENT Dim Byd Wales /Cwmni Da FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience Wales BBC Wales/Zipline Creative Ltd/Parasol Media Ltd FACTUAL SERIES The Quest For Bannockburn Scotland BBC Scotland FACTUAL SINGLE Close to Evil Ireland RTÉ/Praxis Pictures FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA Patrick’s Day Ireland Ignition Film Productions SHORT DRAMA Sínte Ireland Síol Scéal SPORT Arkle Ireland TG4/Touchline Media YOUNG PEOPLE Being Sixteen in 2014 Scotland BBC Scotland KIERAN HEGARTY AWARD FOR Prosiect iBeacons Oriel Plas-Glyn-y-Weddw Wales Cwmni Da INNOVATION BEST APP Seamus Heaney: Five Fables Ireland Flickerpix / Touch Press RADIO DOCUMENTARY Call of the Dark Ireland RTÉ Radio 1 RADIO PRESENTER/PERSONALITY Michelle Nic Grianna Ireland RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta RADIO SPORTS PROGRAMME Documentary on One – Never Knocked Down Ireland RTÉ Radio 1 RADIO MUSIC PROGRAMME Another Country Scotland BBC Radio Scotland RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR BBC Radio nan Gàidheal Scotland BBC Radio nan Gàidheal SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL Páidí ó Sé – Rí an Pharóiste Ireland TG4/Magamedia

CELTIC MEDIA FESTIVAL INVERNESS 2015 WINNERS

Category Country Broadcaster/Production Company ANIMATION The Hunchback in the Park Wales BBC Cymru Wales ARTS Dolores Keane: A Storm in the Heart Ireland RTÉ/Scratch Films Ltd. CHILDREN’S Katie Morag Scotland Move on Up CURRENT AFFAIRS The Disappeared Ireland BBC NI/RTÉ/Erica Starling Productions DRAMA SERIES Love/Hate Ireland RTÉ/Octagon Films Ltd ENTERTAINMENT Dim Byd Wales S4C/Cwmni Da FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience Wales BBC Wales/Zipline Creative Ltd/Parasol Media Ltd FACTUAL SERIES The Quest For Bannockburn Scotland BBC Scotland FACTUAL SINGLE Close to Evil Ireland RTÉ/Praxis Pictures FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA Patrick’s Day Ireland Ignition Film Productions SHORT DRAMA Sínte Ireland Síol Scéal SPORT Arkle Ireland TG4/Touchline Media YOUNG PEOPLE Being Sixteen in 2014 Scotland BBC Scotland KIERAN HEGARTY AWARD FOR INNOVATION Prosiect iBeacons Oriel Plas-Glyn-y-Weddw Wales Cwmni Da BEST APP Seamus Heaney: Five Fables Ireland Flickerpix / Touch Press RADIO DOCUMENTARY Call of the Dark Ireland RTÉ Radio 1 RADIO PRESENTER/PERSONALITY Michelle Nic Grianna Ireland RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta RADIO SPORTS PROGRAMME Documentary on One – Never Knocked Down Ireland RTÉ Radio 1 RADIO MUSIC PROGRAMME Another Country Scotland BBC Radio Scotland RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR BBC Radio nan Gàidheal Scotland BBC Radio nan Gàidheal SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL Páidí ó Sé – Rí an Pharóiste Ireland TG4/Magamedia